Court gives Ngwenya permission to stand in Lilongwe by-elections

Reuben Ngwenya, a former diplomat at the Malawi Embassy in Japan, has won a case in which he petitioned the court to allow him register as a voter and participate in the forthcoming October 17 by-electiom in Lilongwe City South East Constituency.

Dr Reuben Ngwenya: Aspiring to be MP

Ngwenya asked the High Court to order Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to open the registration process again so that he can register as a voter to be allowed to contest.

The court action follows MEC’s rejection of an earlier request by Ngwenya to be registered.

He also sought for judicial review on the same in the court cause number 61 of the 2017.

However, delivering his ruling on Thursday, Justice Charles Mkandawire gave Ngwenya a lee-way to proceed in registering as a voter and then be able to stand as a Member of Parliament for the Lilongwe City South East Constituency.

Mkandawire said in his ruling that Ngwenya “succeeded” in his application.

With the ruling , Ngwenya is now free to contest in the by elections.

Ngwenya told Nyasa Times he was happy with the ruling.

“Am very happy with the ruling this is great, I will now be moving meeting different people and conduct development freely in the constituency,” said Ngwenya.

Ngwenya, recently revealed that he does have a valid 2008 Voter’s ID Card but he said he failed to secure the card because he was out for national duty as ambassador to Japan .